I'm not sure that the majority of illegals actually do want to become Americans, at least to the point where they would accept assimilation.

Quote:

Originally Posted by patteeu

Two points:

1. There are a ton of people in lots of countries around the world who would like to emigrate here. It's hard for most of them to get here legally so many never get in. The only difference between Mexicans and these other potential immigrants is that Mexicans have an easier time coming here illegally. So, the fact that legal immigration is tough and can take quite a while isn't an special excuse for Mexicans.

2. It's a lot more likely that the 2nd generation will assimilate to a greater extent if there isn't such a large, concentrated, monolithic immigrant community that successfully convinces local authorities and businesses to cater to them in terms of language and motherland culture.

Mexicans are just what I have exposure to. The fact is that the process to become a legal immigrant and needs addressed.

As for assimilation, I have a hard time believing the people that say assimilation will happen within a generation. When I stated that, I didn't intend for it to be interpreted that I believed that. I agree with everything about point #2, but by the same token, this isn't the first time it has happen. See little China, the Irish sector, pretty much NYC throughout history.